Steam-engine valve-reversing gear.



H. n. STAFFORD. STEAM ENGHYE VALVE REVERSIWG FW- I915.

AP'Puc/mom r1156 JULY 23L EAR.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- H. 3.. STAFFORD. STEAM ENGINE VALVE REVERSING G m APPLICATION HLED JULY 23, 1915. 3 16,11

IVEMTOH WITNESSES rn es n rn" onon.

HAL R.- srnrronn, or rminvrinnn, new JERSEY, Assrenon' r Econoniiz nnvrcns oonronarron, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,- A conronn'r on on NEW roan.

STEAM-ENGINE VALVE-REVERSING (i -EAR.

Speeification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. as, .1915.

Application filed Iu1y23, 1915. Seria1 No.41,455.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAL-R. STAFFORD, of

Plainfield, in the county of Union} and State of New J ersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engine Valve-Reversing Gears, of which improvement the following is a specification.

The object ofmy invention is to provide a power operated valve reversing mechanism embodying the features ofcapabil ty of rapid. movement in effecting complete re- ,versal of the valve gear, positive locking of the valve'gear in desired adjustment, automatic lubrication of the important wearing parts, and removal ofall lost motion of the-- wearing parts. The improvement claimed is hereinafter fullyset forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view, in elevation, of a reversing gear embodying my invention; Fig. 2, aplan or top view; Fig. 2 a vertical transverse section, on the line as a: of Fig. 1 Fig. 3, an axial section, on" an enlarged scale,

2 through the .rotary nut, showing the traversing screw in elevation, and illustrating the means for simultaneously adjusting the a thrust bearings'and the fit of the. screw; Fig. 4, a rear view, in elevation, of the appliance; Fig. 5, a vertical section through the frame, on the'line 3 yof Fig. 1'; and Fig. 6, a front view of the frame.

Referring to the drawings, in the practice of iny invention, I- provide a substantially rectangularsupporting' frame, 1', which in the case of a locomotive engine, may, as. shown, he bolted to the side'of the firebox, and upon which are formed upper and .lower guides, 1*. A separable casing, compri'singa lower main body, 2, and an upper detachable cap, 2?, is formed upon'or se cured to the rear end-ofthe frame, 1, that is to say, the end farther from the valve gear which is to bev controlled by the appliance.

The lower portion of the main body of the casing is made tight and serves'as an oil reservoir, as indicated by theportion which is shownin section in Fig. 1.

A reversible rotary hi h speed motor, 3, which may be of. any suitable and preferred known type, and which, as it does not, in and of itself, form part of my present in vention, is not herein illustrated in detail', .is mountedin the casing, 2, its casing being prevented from movement relatively to'the gitlidinal adjustment thereof. The forward main casing, by a spindle, 3 The motor is supplied with motive fluid, as steam or compressedair, through a pipe, 4:, controlled by a suitable reversing valve which is operated by a handle, 5.' When the handle'is in mid-' dle or neutral position, as shown in the drawings, motive fluidis shut 03 from the motor, and when moved forward or' back-.

ward, it is admitted inrdirecti'on to efiect,

through the connections to bepresently de-' 6 scribed, adjustment .of the valve gear in the corresponding direction A .spur gear, 6, detachably mounted upon the shaft, 3", of the motor, engages a corresponding gear, 7 which is formed integral with, or secured to, the rear section, 8,0f

i'a two part main nut, 8, 8, jour l d i thrust i gs, 9-, 9 fixed in a bearing,- 10,

on the frame, and adapted to rotate therein,- but held against. longitudinal movement. Interlocking clutch projections, '8, which are formed on the adjoining ends of the section of the nut, prevent relative rotation of the sections, while permitting relative lon- 8 section, 8, of the nut, is externally threaded, and provided with a spanner adjusting nut, 11, bearing. against the outer end of the adjacent bushing, 9 and a jam nut, 11. The thread of the nut, which is of comparatively coarse pitch, engages a corresponding thread on a longitudinally movable traversing I screw, 12, journaled in a bearing, 12, in the frame. The forward end of the traversing screw is secured to a cross head, 13, which is fitted' to slide between the guides, 1, of the frame, and to which'the rear end of the reach rod, 14, is pivotally connected, the front end of said rod being coupledto the upper arm of the reverse shaft, (not shown), in the ordinary manner. The traverse. ofthe cross head in either direction is limited "by front and rear stops, 15, 15 fixed to the frame, and the traversing screw projects,

when at the rear terminal of its range of movement, into a socket, 16, fixed to the rear end of the casing, 2. The traversing screw is locked, when the desired adjustment of the valve gear. has been efie'cted, by a locking latch, 17, jour: naled in the casing, 2, and adapted to'engage the gear, 7, the latch being engaged with, and disengaged from, the gear, by alatch handle, 17*. I

Adjustment of the sections, 8, 8 of the 1 nut, to the traversing screw, for the purpose of takingup wear of the screw and nut, is efiected, by tightening the adjusting nut, 11, and jam nut, 11*, thereby forcing the sec- .tions of the main nut longitudinally apart,

by the reaction of the nut, 11; on the adjacent thrust bushing, 9, with the result of causing each section of the main nut to fit closely in one direction only, and the sec-' tions to fit the thread of the traversing SCIBW without longitudinal 10st motion in either direction. It will be seen that before the sections of the main nut can be forced apart as described, all longitudinal lost motion A between the adjusting nut, 5 the gear, 7, and the thrust bushings, 9, 9 ,-will be taken up, and by the further rotation of the adjusting nut all longitudinal lost motion is eliminated from the parts at a single operation.

In the operation of the appliance, it being assumed that it isdesiredflto move the'valv'e gear into, or forwardly in,-forward motion position, the operating handle, 5, ofthe motor is moved forwardly, or to the right in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby motive fluid is) admitted to the motor in'direction to cause 4 it to rotate the gears togeffect' forward novement of the traversingscrew and cross head to the desired position. The supply of motive fluid to-the motor is then cut off by returning the operating handle to middle,

1 position, and the traversing screw is locked by engaging the latch, 17', with the gear, 7 Ad ustment 1n the opposite direction is similarly efl'ected bv'm'ovement of the operating handle to the left.

I claim asmy inventicnand desire to se-' I cure by Letters Patent:

1. In a valve reversing mechanism, the combination of a rotatable nut, a'longitudia nally movable traversing screw engaging said nut, hearings on which the thrust of said nut is exerted, and adjustable means for taking up wear between the nut. and the bearings and between the nut and screw,

in a single operation.

2. In a 'valve' reversing mechanism, the combination of a mainnut, comprising two sections engaged by interlocking clutch projections, a longitudinally movable traversing screwengaging said nut, bearings on which the thrust of the sections of said nut is independently exerted, and an adjusting nut engaging one of the sections of the nut and abutting against the adjacent thrust bearing. 3

3. In a Valve reversing mechanism, the combination of a rotatable nut, power actuate'd mean-s for rotating said nut, a longitudinally movable traversing screw engaging said nut and adapted for connection to 'a valve gear element, bearings on which the thrust. of said nut is exerted, and adjustable means for taking up wear between the nut and the bearings and between the nut and .screw, in a single operation. I

4. In a valve reversing mechanism, the combination of a supportlng frame, 'two parallel guides thereon, acasing fixed to the .frame, a reversible rotarymotor mounted in the casing, a longitudinally movable trav ersing screw journaled in the frame, a nut' engaglng' said'screw ad acent to one end of ersing screw journaled in the frame, a nut engaging said screw, gearing through which the'nut is rotated by the motor and which receives lubrication from the oil reservoir, and a cross headlfixed to the traversing screw and working on the frame guides.

6. In a valve" reversing mechanism, the

combination. of a supporting frame, guides thereon, a casing fixed to the frame, a rev'ersible rotary motor mounted in the casing, a longitudinally movable traversing screw j ournaled in the frame, a'nut engaging said-screw, gearing through which the nut is rotated by the motor, a locking latch j ournaled on the casing and adapted to engage a member-ofthe gearing, and a cross head fixed to the traversing screw and working on the frame guides. v v

HAL R. STAFFORD.

witnessesz Q 7' HELEN F. MCDEVITT, SHIRL E. Wnn'rs. 

